Q&A

How many pounds can I expect to lose?

Typical rates of weight loss are 2 to 5 pounds per week during the initial weight loss phase. The system is underpinned by decades of nutritional science and directed by a physician with extensive professional knowledge and specialist experience, optimizing the chances of a successful outcome. The precise outcome depends on your dedicated commitment to the plan you are given.

Do you offer ‘natural’ weight loss programs at your Center?

Our weight loss program is 100% natural. No diet pills. No diet fads. It’s all about establishing then consolidating new habits.

Are any drugs or appetite suppressants used in your program?

No drugs. No apatite suppressants. Our plans are simply designed to satisfy your appetite so that you’re not hungry! We do offer lipotropic treatments to aid weight loss. These are basically a combination of vitamins and amino acids that help mobilize fat as energy, increasing metabolism.

What is the best way to diet?

Losing weight is a process. There are multiple ways to achieve the desired results although diets should not be temporary. A healthy, well balanced diet is the goal of this program.

Research shows that the most effective way to lose weight and maintain weight loss is to make a lifestyle change. An excellent way to do this would be to generate new habits which include: increased activity, dietary changes and behavioral strategies that work for each individual.

How important is portion size?

Understanding portion size is one of the first steps in the development of a successful weight management plan. Teaching the stomach and the brain to coordinate portion control is key in weight loss and healthy living.

Is exercise a part of the program?

Absolutely. Exercise is greatly encouraged. It not only improves your cardiovascular performance, it also leaves you feeling better, refreshed, de-stressed.

Will weight lifting increase my weight?

At the start of any weight-lifting program some people see a small increase in muscle mass. This can, in turn, cause a small increase in weight. Muscle, however, is more compact than body fat and does not typically cause a noticeable increase in size. Increasing muscle mass can also cause small increases in metabolic rate which will further assist your weight loss efforts.

Will my metabolism slow down?

Our program is designed to increase your metabolism. It is not, however, a starvation diet. Starvation and very low calorie fad diets decrease the metabolism because they signal the body that you are in starvation mode. When that happens, our brains instruct our bodies to conserve energy and decrease burning due to a perceived ‘famine’ state — a process intimately linked to the evolution and survival of our species. But with our program, you’ll be eating and nourished at all times.

How is this plan different from other plans?

This plan has been designed by a certified physician nutritionist. Its foundation does not lie solely in weight loss but in guided long-term lifestyle changes to maintain weight loss and promote healthy living. And, as you should expect, the food is absolutely delicious, and cooked home-style.

I have been unsuccessful with past diets. Can I succeed with this one?

There are many factors that contribute to success: level of motivation, openness to exploration and change and available support, for example. Additionally, provided you have no medical issues prohibiting weight loss, you will lose weight on this program.

Should I consider bariatric surgery?

For the severely obese (those with a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or above), and for those who previously unsuccessful in achieving or maintaining weight loss with medically-monitored weight loss programs, bariatric surgery can be an option. However, we do not encourage it as a quick-fix type of weight loss.

Do you accept insurance?

EatWeighBetter does not file insurance claims on behalf of our patients. However, patients are welcome to submit their invoices to their insurance companies for reimbursement. All payment is due at time of service.

Do you accept credit cards?

We accept all major credit cards including American Express, Discover, MasterCard and Visa.

What is the Science behind it?

Proportionally the diet conforms to Sabbagh’s Golden Ratio for professional quality meal planning: Protein (50%), healthy fats (30%) and carbs (20%). Clients see major benefits in healthy meal plans which conform to these ratios. Even greater benefits can arise following consultation with our doctors, which are intended to lead to individualised diet regimes. These regimes are underpinned by the concept of carb-cycling, a method which varies according to individual needs.

This bespoke aspect of meal planning is just one of the ways in which our healthy meal plans distinguish themselves from a variety of diets which have come and gone over the last 5-10 years: No carb diets, mediterranean diets, liquid diets, hcg diets, high protein diets and the Atkins diet are good examples.

Our low calorie meals are designed to contain carbs with low glycemic indexes. These foods do not cause significant rises in insulin, facilitating the depletion of fat storage sites.

The idea is to:

Maintain protein measures at 6 ounces

Keep sides between one and one and a half cups

Hold carb intake to one meal a day — at approximately 30 mg

Add balanced amounts of protein and fat.

These basic meal planning rules provide those who want to lose weight with approximately 50-75 grams per day, with the suggested snacks. Since proteins and sides are pre-measured, this reinforces portion control, rendering calorie counting unnecessary. In fact, calorie count is avoided by default. In any case the dishes in our meal plans will not have too many calories because they are size-controlled and have no superfluous carbohydrates.

A word on meal planning and wheat. In recent years wheat has undergone such extensive genetic modification that I excluded it from the EatWeighBetter regime altogether because of possible links to intestinal symptoms, including fatigue, low energy and body aches.

50-75 grams of carbs a day provides most people with sufficient energy. Essentially, every planned meal is higher in protein and good fats, lower in carbohydrates. Meals with sides of carbohydrates or breakfast meals with carbohydrates are intended to be the only meal of the day with carbs. Or portions provide roughly 30 grams of carbs, leaving a 20-30 gram room for error to account for hidden-carbs added by the client.

How do you begin?

Well, you’ve considered the science. You have perhaps asked yourself the question, ‘How much should I weigh?’ You like our no fuss, simple approach to weight loss. Notice we said ‘simple’ not ‘easy’! You’ll need to supply the one thing we can’t — the desire to succeed! We’ll take care of everything else.

DISAPPOINTMENT WARNING:

You’ll want to know how to order our prepared meals. If you’re anxious that you’ll be required to input the carb-protein-nutrient ratios of every mouthful, before clicking several dozen check boxes, you are going to be disappointed. There’s no need for a weight loss calculator.

Complex science. Simple application. Proven weight loss.

MD CONSULTATION

Contact Doctor Sabbagh or her team today to find out which diet plan is right for you.

MEAL ORDERING

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2. We will use only the finest ingredients, assuring that every meal delivers a satisfying taste.

Testimonials

“Dr. Sabbagh was a lifesaver for me! I was uncomfortable in my own skin. Overweight, bloated, depressed and fatigued. I had tried for years to lose weight and feel better. I went to my primary care doctor many times. I tried every diet on the planet, nothing worked. I was always hungry and tried. I am finally losing weight, but the most important thing is, I feel so much better and have so much more energy.”